Bradenton approves payments for fall tree giveaways and up to $30,000 for 2026 market season

The Bradenton City Council on Dec. 10 approved payment of recently revised invoices for the city-funded tree giveaways and authorized up to $30,000 from the tree-mitigation fund to support monthly giveaways at the Realize Bradenton market through May 2026.

Jamie Schindelof (planning) reported a December invoice revision that raised the December giveaway cost to $5,296.69 and a total of $14,087 for the three giveaway months already completed. Schindelof said the tree mitigation fund balance was $476,566.82 as of Sept. 30 and that the fund can cover the requests.

Jennifer Hoffman, executive director and tree-board chair for Keep Manatee Beautiful, described the program’s scale: “We have given away 2,700 trees that you all have paid for since the hurricanes,” she said, and noted the giveaways average slightly more than $5,000 per month to distribute about 200 trees at the last-Saturday-of-the-month market events. Hoffman requested a standing authorization to streamline funding.

After council discussion about seasonality, planting windows, and canopy replacement priorities related to hurricane losses, Councilwoman Barnaby moved to set aside up to $30,000 to fund giveaways through the market season (May 2026) and the motion passed 5–0. Council then separately moved to approve payment of the outstanding 2025 invoices; that vote carried 4–0 with Vice Mayor Moore briefly out of the room.

Keep Manatee Beautiful also said it plans an additional Earth Day/Arbor Day request for April 2026 that would come later before council. The city and the group discussed the potential to partner on other public-works planting programs and to involve the tree board in city construction projects for canopy planning.